JEDDAH — The Social Affairs Ministry is making internal investigations to determine the loopholes in the hospitality home in Jeddah which have facilitated the repeated escaping of girls from the home. Informed sources said the girls escaped through the window making use of the interval during which the supervisors changed shifts. They said the girls were gathered near the principal's office in the ground floor waiting for the shift change to escape out of the home. The sources said internal cameras have recorded the details of the escape but the supervisors have failed to monitor on time. The photos and the video clips showed the girls getting out of the home and taking a private car which happened to be there. The sources were not sure if the car was accidentally passing near the home or if it was deliberately arranged to be there at that particular time. They said the ministry's investigating committee reached the conclusion that the pictures were not very clear and they lacked accuracy because the cameras were old and needed repair. The committee will forward its findings to the minister of social affairs to decide on the case. The sources said the girls had earlier tried to escape while they were kept at the social protection home in Makkah. They said the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution (BIP) has submitted the case to the court which ordered that the girls be sent to the hospitality home in Jeddah. The sources questioned the speedy transfer of the girls from Makkah to Jeddah and wondered whether the judge was informed about their earlier escape. They said the families refused to accept the girls who had served their prison terms in ethical crimes. Abdullah Al-Tawi, undersecretary of social affairs in Makkah, said a number of female employees in the hospitality home will be questioned before compiling a comprehensive report on the second case of escaping from the home.
